


Aftermath

by nugatory



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19853896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nugatory/pseuds/nugatory
Summary: Eric comes to see that there's a big difference in hearing the horror stories about the Saviors and experiencing it first hand.





	Aftermath

“Are you okay?

Aaron’s soft voice made Eric look up from where he was scrubbing the blood out of his lover’s shirt at the kitchen sink. Aaron had showered and the cuts on his face were closed with butterfly bandages. He was dressed now in loose fitting flannel pajama bottoms and a hooded sweatshirt, the least restrictive clothing possible for his possibly broken ribs. Already the bruises were starting to form on his face; his lower lip, cheek and nose puffy from swelling. 

“You just got the shit beaten out of you and you’re asking if I’m okay?” 

Aaron shrugged softly. “Not the first time it’s happened, doubt it’ll be the last. But what happened today--Spencer, Olivia…having a gun pointed in your face…are you okay?”

Eric set aside the shirt and scrubber brush, gripping the edge of the counter and studying the granite countertop as he tried to process everything. “How can any of us be okay anymore? After you told me what happened to Glenn and Abraham—the thought that it could have been you,” Eric looked up and met Aaron’s gaze. “I knew we no longer had a choice in the deal with the Saviors. Even if they took everything we own, it wouldn’t matter as long as I still had you. Now…I feel like no matter what we do, they could roll in here at any time and kill us. You and Rick were out there, risking your lives to get shit for them, and they still kill two of our own and kick the crap out of you.”

Aaron gingerly moved around the kitchen island as Eric shook his head and hung it with a heavy sigh. He gathered the shorter man into his arms and felt Eric hold him carefully, mindful of his injuries. “I don’t care what happens to me,” Aaron murmured. “I care what happens to you.”

“I care what happens to you. To both of us. If this is what I can expect to see every time you come home, then I don’t want you going back out there anymore.”

“I have to, Eric.”

Eric sighed and pulled away from Aaron, busying himself with scrubbing the shirt again to hide his frustration and anguish. As always, Aaron saw right through it and moved in behind him, arms looping around Eric’s waist and chin resting on his shoulder. Eric squeezed his eyes shut, his throat constricting with a jumble of emotions—horror over witnessing two murders, loathing for Negan and the Saviors, distress at seeing Aaron beaten, hopeless and resigned to their current situation, guilt for wanting both him and Aaron to step back from all of this, and fear of losing his lover. It was all too much and Eric felt himself breaking down, a quiet sob wracking his body as tears cut wet paths down his cheeks.

“It’s okay; I’m here.” Aaron’s voice was soft and reassuring, one hand moving to rub Eric’s back.

“It’s not okay!” Eric croaked, sniffling and wiping his face with his shirt sleeve. “None of this is okay…I’m not okay.”

Eric’s voice grew softer and softer until the last words were spoken, barely audible. Aaron felt a twinge of pain that wasn’t from his injuries, and he pulled Eric away from the sink, taking him by the hand and leading him to the couch to sit and hold him. Eric molded himself against Aaron’s side, still sniffling wetly as tears continued to fall. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when it happened. I’m sorry you had to see it. I wanted to spare you from having to see anything like that.”

“How do you even cope, babe?” Eric asked, looking at Aaron. “We’ve both had nightmares about the roamers, but you’ve been dealing with nightmares about the Saviors since the night…since that night. I know what my nightmares are going to become now—all the different ways I could lose you—and I’m terrified that I won’t be able to handle it.” 

“Having you next to me, helps.” Aaron replied gently. “More than you know. I’ll be here for you when the nightmares come. To reassure you, to hold you, to tell you everything’s alright just as you’ve done for me. You’re the strongest person I know, Eric. You’ve given me strength and courage more times than I can count. The dreams are ugly, but they’re just dreams.”

“Until they’re not.”

Aaron tenderly wiped the wetness from Eric’s cheeks and leaned in to kiss him. “We’ll get through this, babe. Together. I trust Rick to come up with a plan to get us out of this.” 

Eric expelled a heavy breath. “Aaron—“

“I trust Rick,” Aaron cut him off. “I need you to trust me.”

“I trust you, but—“

Aaron lifted his eyebrows in silent rebuke. 

Eric sighed in resignation. “I trust you.”

Aaron cupped his face and leaned in to gift him with a lingering kiss, thumb stroking the sharp angle of Eric’s cheekbone. “I promise, Eric…I will be here to make your life miserable for a long, long time. I have no intention of dying yet, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Eric tenderly cupped Aaron’s face in return, gently resting his forehead against his lover’s. “Good. Because I kind of like being miserable with you.” 

Aaron sifted his fingers through Eric’s hair before resting his hand on the back of his neck. “So it’s a plan, then? We’ll spend the rest of our lives miserable together.”

“Completely miserable.” Eric agreed with a soft smile.

“Absolutely wretched.”

“I loathe you so much.”

“I loathe you more,” Aaron grinned despite the pain of his cuts and bruises and pressed his lips to Eric’s.

Eric lightly caressed Aaron’s cheek, feeling his unsettled emotions die back down for now. The road ahead of them was dark and treacherous, but with Aaron at his side, he would survive it.


End file.
